Weekly highlights: Vietnam wins big at World Travel Awards 2024

From the streets of Hanoi to the bustling corners of Saigon, coffee is more than just a drink here—it's a way of life.

Vietnam and Malaysia officially upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, during Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Malaysia on November 21.

State President Luong Cuong led a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam for official visits to Chile and Peru, as well as for attendance at the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week held in Lima, Peru, from November 8-16.

Pho is more than just a dish; it is a part of the soul of the Vietnamese people, representing the essence of the country’s culinary heritage and national spirit. Pho creates a magical connection with international friends who, even if they’ve never been to Vietnam, find themselves yearning to explore the homeland of this dish through its distinctive flavors.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made a working visit to China from November 5 to 8 to attend the 8th Greater Mekong Subregion Summit. His trip also includes participation in the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit and the 11th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Cooperation Summit.

From October 27 to Nov. 1 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar and attended the 8th Edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) and made a working trip to Saudi Arabia.

Vietnamese cuisine, delicious food that even just hearing about makes all of us, as Vietnamese, want to take a bite. We take great pride in having such diverse, unique, and palatable dishes in all regions in the country. This is also one of the reasons that draws international visitors to Vietnam. In this episode, let’s listen to the experiences of foreign tourists as they indulge in Vietnamese dishes.

The National Assembly on Oct. 21 voted to pass a resolution electing General Luong Cuong, 67, as the State President for the 2021-26 term.

The 10th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front opened in Hanoi on October 17. The three-day congress, themed "Solidarity - Democracy - Innovation - Creativity – Development”, have brought together a total of over 1,000 delegates representing various classes, ethnic groups, religions, armed forces, overseas Vietnamese, and front officials at all levels.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam successfully concluded his official visit to France and participation in the 19th Francophonie Summit from October 3-7, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. A key highlight was the elevation of Vietnam-France relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a significant breakthrough after more than a decade of the comprehensive partnership.

After five years of joining the “UNESCO Creative Cities Network” under the category of design, Hanoi has organised numerous activities related to creative design, attracting a large number of organisations and individuals both at home and abroad.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, along with his entourage, paid state visits to Mongolia and Ireland from September 30 to October 3. 

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam, paid a visit to the United States from September 21-25 (local time) for the United Nations Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79), and working sessions in the US.

At the end of October, the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic people of Khe Giua village begin preparing offerings for their New Rice Festival. This celebration usually takes place after a harvest, marking the end of one agricultural cycle and the beginning of a new one.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Surya Deva, had a dialogue in Geneva on September 18, with countries on his activities over the past year, during which he highly valued the Vietnamese Government's multidimensional poverty reduction approach.

Super Typhoon Yagi, known in Vietnam as Typhoon No. 3, has left devastating impacts on the northern provinces of Vietnam. Authorities are working closely with communities to swiftly address the storm’s aftermath.

Located in Mo Lao Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, "Phuong Bach Nghe" is a heartfelt project designed to inspire love for preserving Vietnam’s cultural heritage and spiritual values passed down through generations.

Cuc Phuong in the northern province of Ninh Binh was named Asia’s Leading National Park 2024 at the 31st World Travel Awards, which was held in Manila, the Philippines, on September 3.

Around the end of July, the idea of painting the Vietnam flag on the roof emerged on social media and quickly gained traction. Numerous families across the country have meticulously painted the national flag on their home.

The National Assembly on August 26 approved the Government's proposal for the selection of three new Deputy Prime Ministers for the 2021-26 term – at the extraordinary session on personnel matters in Hanoi.